Well-pump.



PATENTBD MAR. 5, 1907.

A. L. MEDLOGK.

WELL PUMP.

APPLIGATION FILED 00116, 1905.

AUGUSTUS L. MEDLOCK, OF STRATFORD, TEXAS.

WELL-PUMP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

f kPatented March 5, 1907.

Application led October 1G, 1905. Serial No. 282,953.

To aZ whom t muy concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUSTUS L. MnDLooK, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Stratford, in the county of Sherman and State of Texas, have invented new and useful Improvements in NVell-Pumps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to well-pumps of that character wherein a piston is operatively arranged within an outiow-pipe and l having an automatically closed bottom check-valve opened by the suction produced upon the upward movement of the piston to allow water from the well to flow into the outflow-pipe to be discharged upon the subsequent upstroke of the piston and wherein a strainer tube or pipe is employed at the bottom of thewell to prevent sand and other foreign particles from entering with the oil or other liquid to be pumped.

Heretofore the strainer has been connected directly with the outflow-pipe and in direct communication therewith, a construction that has been found to be objectionable for many reasons, among them the extraction of the water from the upper portion of the strainer first, thus resulting in a resistance being established to the inliow of the water from the lower water-bearing stratum and but a partial depletion of the contents of the strainer at each stroke of the piston, the apparatus being deficient in not taking the supply from the base of the stratum and not developing the full strength of the stratum, thereby unduly limiting the capacity of the pump.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved suction device adapted to be attached to and arranged within the strainer in such manner as to cause the latter to be nearly, if not entirely, emptied of its contents upon each Working stroke of the piston and to thereby cause an equal and free flow from the several strata and an increase in the working capacity of the pump and, further, to provide a device of this character which is susceptible of ready attachment to wellpumps of the described character already in use.

Vitli the above and other objects in view the invention consists of the features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in whichk Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section of a well-pump embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the coupling-plug. Fig. 3 is a similar view of the junction-tube.

lteferring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 1 represents the outflow-pipe, within which is arranged a cylinder 2, terminating at its lower end above the lower end of the outflow-pipe, the said lower end of the cylinder having a reduced tapered or frusto-conical extremity 3, serving as a support for the seat and cage of a bottom check-valve 4, normally held closed by a spring 5 and adapted to be opened by the suction produced upon the upward movement of the piston to allow water to flow into the upper portion of the cylinder for passage to the outflow-pipe. Operating in the cylinder above the valve is a valved piston 6, the valve 7 of which is normally held seated by the valve-closing spring 8. The piston is connected with the piston-rod 9, which extends to the surface through the outflow-pipe and may be operated by any preferred type of actuating mechanism. Upon the downward movement of the piston the valve 7 opens under the pressure of the water below to allow the water to flow through the piston into the upper end of the cylinder and the outfiow-pipe, the water being elevated and discharged upon the ensuing upstroke of the piston.

The strainer tube or pipe 10 may be of any construction in ordinary use and in pumps of the Cook and similar types fits at its upper end within the lower end of the outflow-pipe and is connected with the lower end of the cylinder by an interposed elastic packing tube or gasket, some of the objections to the construction and arrangement of which have been heretofore stated.

'In accordance with my invention I arrange within the strainer a suction-tube 11, which is of sufliciently smaller diameter than the strainer to leave an interposed passage of adequate area to allow water to freely enter the strainer and to flow to the inlet end of the suction-tube. The suction-tube terminates at its lower end, which is in communication with the strainer a short distance above the bottom of the latter and is externally threaded at its upper end to engage a threaded socket in the lower end of a coupling-plug 12, which is provided with a port or passage 13, in communication with the tube for upward flow of water therefrom. The lower end of the plug is reduced and externally threaded,

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as shown at 14, for engagement with the upper internally-threaded end 15 of the strainer, and the upper end of the plug is also reduced and externally threaded, as shown at 1.6, for engagement with the lower internally-thro aded end of junction-pipe 17. The upper end of the plug is formed or provided with a bailhandle or grip, by which the strainer, junction-pipe, andassociated parts may be lowered through the outflow-pipe to the desired depth before the cylinder is placed in the well and also by which said strainer, junction-pipe, and suction-pipe may be lifted out of the well. This construction of the plug further facilitates the assemblage and disassemblage of said parts and enables the suction-tube to be conveniently lifted out of the strainer after the plug has been disconnected from the latter.

The junction tube or pipe 17 has an outwardly swaged or swelled upper end 19, which is grooved or recessed to receive a countersunk external packing-ring 20, forming an air and liquid tight joint between the same and lower end of the outflow-pipe. The said upper end of the junction-pipe receives the lower cylindrical end of a gasket 21, which is tapered at its upper end to receive the lower tapered end 3 of the pump-cylinder and form a connection and air-tight closure between the same and the junction-pipe. The suction-pipe, coupling-plug, and junction-pipe constitute the elements of the present .invention and by the described construction may be readily applied to pumps of the stated character already in use.

Upon the upstroke of the piston a partial vacuum is created in the lower portion of the cylinder, which causes the bottom checkvalve 1 to open against the resistance of its closing-spring 5 and a vacuum to be formed in the suction and junction pipes, whereby water is caused to flow from the bearing stratum into the strainer-tube 10. Upon the downstroke of the piston this water, which has previously passed through the check-valve into the lower end of the cylinder, passes through the piston and is discharged upon the ensuing upstroke of the latter. Owing to the fact that the suctiontube 11 communicates only at its lower end with the lower portion of the strainer and that the coupling-plug 21 seals the attachment against the access of air thereto, a practically continuous partial vacuum will be maintained between the check-valve and lower end of the suction-tube, which will cause a continuous inlet of the water thereto until the water flows into or above the junction-pipe 17 and is discharged in the manner above described, whereupon the suction-feeding operation will be repeated. lt will be apparent that as the suction-pipe extends down in the strainer practically the entire length ofthe latter that the discharge of only a portion of the water from the upper end of the strainer will be prevented and practically all the water contained within the strainer caused to discharge through the suction-pipe and up into the cylinder upon each suction-- stroke of the piston, thereby leaving the strainer empty to receive the free inlet of water thereto and increasing to a material extent the discharging capacity of the pump, also getting a greater flow of water or other liquid by taking the supply from near the base of the stratum, where the greatest amount of water is to be obtained.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. ln a well-pump, the combination with an outflow-pipe having a pump-cylinder and piston arranged therein, of a strainer, a suction-tube communicating at its lower end with the bottom portion of the strainer, a sealing-coupling between the upper end of said suction-tube and the outflow-pipe, and a sealing connection between said coupling and the pump-cylinder.

2. In a well-pump, the combination of an outflow-pipe having pumping mechanism arranged therein, of a strainer, a junction-pipe 'fitting within the outflow-pipe, a coupling member connecting the strainer and juncti on-pipe, and a suction-tube supported within the strainer by the coupling member and communicating at its lower end with the strainer and at its upper end with the junction-pipe.

3. In a well-pump, the combination with an outflow-pipe having pumping mechanism arranged therein, of a strainer, a suctionpipe communicating with the lower portion thereof, a junction-pipe connected with the suction-pipe, and a sealing connection between said junction-pipe and the outflow- 1 e. P An attachment for well-pumps comprising a strainer, a junction-pipe, a ported coupling connecting said elements, and a suction-tube within the strainer carried by said coupling.

5. An attachment for well-pumps comprising a strainer, a junction-pipe provided at its upper end with a countersunk external gasket, a ported coupling connecting the strainer and junction-pipe, and a suctiontube supported by the coupling within the strainer.

6. An attachment for well-pumps comprising a strainer, a suction-tube disposed therein, and a coupling member connected with the suction-tube and adapted to have a sealing connection with the outflow-pipe.

7. In combination, a strainer, a suctiontube communicating with the lower portion thereof, a connecting junction-pipe, and means for securing a sealing connection between said pipe and the outflow-pipe of a pumping mechanism.

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8.; In a well-pump, a strainer, a suctiontube communicating with the lower portion thereof, a junction-pipe connected with the tube and adapted to fit within the outflowpipe of the pumping mechanism, and means for establishing a sealing connection between said junction-pipe and the cylinder of the pumping mechanism.

9. In a well-pump, the combination with an outflow-pi pe having a pump-cylinder and piston arranged therein, of a strainer, a suction-tube communicating at its lower end with the bottom portion of the strainer, a coupling connection between the upper end of said suction-tube and the outiiowpipe, said connection having a flared portion provided with a packing engaging the wall of the pipe, and a sealing connection fitted in said flared portion of the coupling and receiving the lower end of the pump-cylinder.

10. In a well-pump, the combination with an outflow-pipe having pumping mechanism arranged therein, of a strainer, a suctiontube arranged within the strainer, and a coupling member connecting said strainer with the pumping mechanism, said coupling member forming a seal joining the tube and pumping mechanism to form an air-tight `joint.

11. In a well-pump, the combination with a flow pipe having a cylinder and piston arranged therein, of a strainer, a suction-tube arranged within the strainer, a coupling member at the upper end of said tube inserted within the ilow-pipe and forming a seal engaging the wall thereof, and a gasket itting within said coupling member and about the lower end of the cylinder.

12. In a well-pump, the combination with a flow pipe having pumping mechanism therein, of a strainer, a suction-tube arranged within the strainer and having a coupling member extending upwardly into the flow-pipe, said coupling member being irictionally iitted within the pipe, and a sealing connection between said coupling member and the pumping mechanism.

13. An attachment for well-pumps comprising a suction-tube adapted to fit within the strainer, and a coupling irictionally engaging the interior of said pipe connecting the tube therewith, said coupling having a sealing connection with the pumping mechanism for the formation of a vacuum within the tube, said coupling member and connection being disposed within the lower end of the pipe and removable therefrom.

14. In a well-pump, the combination with a ilow-pipe having pumping mechanism arranged therein, of a strainer, a suction-tube arranged within the strainer and composed of a plurality oi sections, a coupling connecting said sections for longitudinal adjustment, and means for establishing a sealing connection between the upper end of said tube and the pumping mechanism.

In testimony whereof I ailiX my signature in presence oi' two witnesses.

AUGUSTUS L. MEDLOCK.

Witnesses z J. P. REEDER, ARTHUR LILE. 

